Hungry (Sometimes) Like The Wolf

[loboLoco]

[youtube]dilzt2DG4P4[/youtube]
Video link:

As we redesign the game for WolfQuest 3: Anniversary Edition, one thing we’ve focused on is hunger. The game has always used a simplistic model for hunger, embedding it in the Health meter so eating is how you restore your health. There’s some truth in that, and it’s useful for simple, straightforward gameplay, but with WQ3, we are fundamentally rethinking how hunger manifests itself in the game. Some players have suggested adding a hunger meter, but we are very reluctant to add more meters, which add to the player’s cognitive load with diminishing returns.

We have three goals in mind:
* Model real wolf hunger and behavioral patterns.
* Discourage indiscriminate hunting and slaughter.
* Make it easy to understand the current situation at a glance.

WolfQuest is all about representing real wolf behavior. There are strong stereotypes about wolves being voracious killers, always hungry and on the hunt.  But, in reality, wolves only hunt when hungry and after a big kill it might be a week or more before they need to hunt again. Prey seem to know that wolves are not always hungry and herds might graze peacefully quite close to wolves that are not in hunting mode.

So what is hunger? Like pain, it’s simply a signal from your body to your mind: “Hey, you need to do something about this!” So we want to model that in the game. But there are other physiological aspects of hunger and eating, for humans and even more so for wolves. After a big meal, wolves will lay about — for hours or even days — while they digest the food. They certainly do not get up and hunt again — both because they’re not hungry and because their body is instead spending energy on the hard work of digestion. And hunger is not really a linear progression: An hour after you eat, you still feel full, you don’t feel 90% full. Humans grow hungry again after 4-8 hours, while for wolves it’s more like two to five days. So hunger should affect your motivation to find food. We see this with wolves, who are lazy after a big meal, but after awhile, they become very energetic and keen to find more food. And then after many days without food, hunger will truly start to affect both energy and health.

While digesting, your energy will drop perhaps 40-50% — so you’ll still be able to move about and do things, but you won’t have enough energy to hunt elk or run long distances without a rest. The best thing to do is act like a real wolf and sleep it off.

So in WQ3, the energy (green) meter in our new health badge will reflect this situation: After you eat a big meal, it will actually shrink, because you simply have less energy available while digesting that food. After 24 hours, the meter will begin to grow again, taking another 24 hours or so to reach its maximum size. As the meter grows, your actual energy within that meter will also grow, indicating that your body is has the motivation and energy to hunt again.

We’re also redesigning how the Health meter works, to make it more realistic and less gamey…but that’s a topic for another day.

[Silverheart98]

Oooh will this just be cool!! I was always thinking while playing wq2.7 after eating alot that how my wolf is still able to run so much, unlike if I would eat alot irl I would just wanna take a rest x'D This will add so much more realism in game and I can't wait to experience this once the game comes out x3 You really put alot of thinking and efford in this. Awesome job and good thinking with this one!

Keep it up guys!!

~ Silver

[PearlyReborn]

This is exciting, and totally changes how the game is played.

One question though- the pups will be less reliant on food, right? Since hunting and stuff will be harder.

[Noella]

This sounds like an interesting challenge. Can't wait to try it out! Also, I agree with PearlyReborn. Will the changes be less effective that we can constantly look after the pups? Perhaps this will slide into another update, but perhaps you will be inputing the changes to reflect what is needed since pups are quite needy at a young age.

[Black Burn]

This sounds great! So much different from 2.7, where when you eat the energy bar goes up! I'm glad the hunger won't make your wolf have to hunt all the time, like other games I've played. But will it take real time 24 hours or can you go to sleep and have all the energy back?
Thank you for keeping us updated! And keep up the amazing work WQ Team!

[PearlyReborn]

But will it take real time 24 hours or can you go to sleep and have all the energy back?

I'm pretty sure they mentioned a day-night cycle before- so I'm assuming it would be in-game days.

[SnowSprite]

I like this idea! Will there be more stuff to do though while we wait to hunt again? I can't imagine myself lying down or just walking around for a full in-game day, because when I'm not looking after pups, I like to hunt for fun. Unless we can use the sleep option to digest and get the energy back? Would that work?

[paperpaws]

Cheers, I'll be listening to Duran Duran for the rest of my evening now.

"resting and digestion" is just about my favourite activity. Awesome to see it's coming to the game in a more realistic way.

[sophiaww]

Wow that's so cool! And much more realistic. I knew that hunger was just signals and other stuff. But I didn't know it took some of your energy away. Keep up the good work WolfQuest!!!

[xX_WillowWisp_Xx]

Huzuh! I love this new tweak to the stats bars, it is definately more realistic and actuate to the lifestyle of a real wolf, good job team wolfquest! I also love the new wolf icon in the corner, but I would just like to say that I think it would look more realistic if the mouth didn't reach so far back and there was a bit more fur around the top of the neck under the jawbone. And also, I think the nose could be the tinyest bit smaller... But I love how the model has come on! Its such an improvement and I can't stop thinking about the adventures waiting to be had!

[sophiaww]

This is exciting, and totally changes how the game is played.

One question though- the pups will be less reliant on food, right? Since hunting and stuff will be harder.

I hope. Because in real life I don't think pups get hungry that fast even after a big meal. And the truth is since you're busy with the pups (going back and forth to feed them) there isn't enough time to rest for a little bit.

[Gillato]

i agree with willowwisp there soo many adventure's waiting to be had!

but you guys are doing a really good job! it looks so real. oh and will this also go for the pups?
because in wq 2.7 its like omgosh ....why are they so hungry!!
but just saying. keep up creative flows guy's.

-Gillato

[Echodextrous]

Wow this looks amazing, I'm so excited! I'm also kinda scared about how this is going to turn out because a big part of this game (personally) is hunting as I've never really been into RP (no imagination), and the pups can be quite stressful, but I hope with the new food meters and mate the pups should be more manageable? Either way, keep up the awesome work and thank you for everything you put into this game! I am also wondering about how stats are going to work with the new food/hunger system? Will we still be able to choose more speed or strength and be smaller or bigger, or will we all be about the same size and speed?

[Phasoli]

Wow! This new mechanic sounds absolutely lovely! Playing as a lone wolf will definitely be more interesting and realistic now. I can't wait to explore the new maps and dig around the game in the meantime, while I'm resting up and reclaiming my energy. I'm also curious as to how this new hunger system will come into play when we're with pups. I trust that the team will tie things together as always!

[xc92u3]

Yaaaay! New post; new excitement; new bugs to fix! And I love how it displays the wolf's head next to the bars.